The Sun. — London, England, 1836-02-23 00:00:00

- tailed to pass. In the last session the Right Hon. Baronet 'aPPosite announced his intention of bringin forward a mea sure ha v i ng the s g ame object in view, twe thaheter istic of which measure, honceer, was its declaring- th a t there should be no compulsory payment of tithe—it merely afforded the means of effecting a commutation, supposing the parties had Previously agreed that It should take place, .ft was conse quently the un i versa l op i nion with th Hard to that me asure at no commutation at all would result from it. It teas evi dent that every person likely to be affected by nth a measure as that—A measure which did net enifbree imme diate commutation, but tacitly as it were bad out an intl. Illation, that if it were not acted upon some other more l compulsory measure must follow it—would rather take Ma chance of being compelled by some subscrptent measure, than immediately avail himself of that, It therefore e be cam the d u ty o f any person introducinr, a measure i n tip Present day for the commutation of tithes to make the commutation either wholly voluntary or rernpulsory on the parties. As, however, the principles of this Bill would in thall probability be misunderstood, it would be p er h aps d es i ra bl e at he (the'Solicitor- G enera l) should very shortly state the objects it proposed to effect. In the first place it I'm clear that the first step to be taken in framing such a Bill must be to Is!afford parties agreeing to a commutation the means of etuntng . into effect. That, accordingly, was the first object of t,!' —(Hear. )It was said that 'lie consequence of this facility to persons desirous of effecting a commutation would be so to confuse the trjunderies of properties as to ) ilekt it extremely doubtful ted to a commutation. what land was or was not sub s:nor-General) to be lint this appeared to him (the Soli end ore which c_oul objection to the present system also, conk' well be obviated. It was one already t u i: e nrat i°n• 'aco what was the next step to be taken by r framers "r a Commutation Bill ? Why, to afford the means ITl:lopeaureicsbting cite commutation in cases where the majority of cite it in opposition to the minority. The re de 'proposed in this instance by the Bill was the most ~,a`,oltable that could possibly be suggested. There was one step further to which the proposers of this measure "imposed to go. It was that if either of two parties desired la c ommutation, the other being averse to it, then that the party so desiring it should have the right to compel the other to come into the arrngement, due care ''.reing taken at the m a tt er was f a i r l y conducted. Tl is was the ge ncral point to which the Bill proposed to go. Now it cer ta ",inly did a pp ear t o hi m (the Solicitor-General) that his on. and Learned Friend (Mr. Pemberton) was somewhat inconsistent in his argulnent on this point of the Bill. His lion. and Learned Frlend. bad actually intimated his intention 1 ,2 1 . 1 apposin g the ser.;ond, readi ng , not b ecause t h e Bi ll we n t too on. in this respr.ct-, 'but because it did no t go f ar enough.— (Hear, hear.) He now came to the observations of the Hon. fallen ir•. Member for Maldon. The Hon. Member seemed to have 1-!e a an error when h e o bj ecte d t h at the effect of taking y:crag ° of nt the last seven years would be to arrive at too 'e.4 an amou, as the price of corn during those years would .e found to be higher than if an average of the last twenty !GPears had been taken. It appeared to him (the Solicitor eforneral) that th e H on . M em b er was m i sta k en i n this view, , taking the average of that seven years, it would be found, that if during the first part of the time the prices were high, durin g t h e l atter part of the time the prices were low, and the ' average therefore would be as fair an average as any that could be had. The question of the number of yet; r s was one • of detail, and consequently one for the Comnfittee—the prin ciple of average would be the same. Tte Honourable Mem ber h a d another objection, which wa:„ that the amount of the commutation should be calcul.'ced on the amount of rent actually paid, not on the s''.'aount agreed to be paid, w ith out alloltin for that which be g 'was thrown off ; but th e H on . Mem would find that there was a corrective power in other clauses of the Will which made it unnecessary to answer the 'abjection. The principle of average was that on which the teontmutation would be calculated, and by it the proportion of each tith e . payer would be regulated. There was one objec wit which had been repeatedly urged by the Right Hon. tart. the Member for the University of Oxford, which was i,thr,ait it was p er f ect l y monstrous to ask the Clergy to accept 'of. 'where they were entitled to claim 1001. It appeared to (the Solicitor-General) that this objection proceeded. arn the Ri g h t H on. G entleman not having sufficiently consi dered, the nature o f t h e r i ght of the Clergymen to the 1001. ''as the Ri g h t H on. G entleman aware that the only con upon whi c h th e so il was generally made to yield pro o ro e enough to make the 100/. one-tenth of the whole, was that the Clergyman should actually take a less sum than that w i nich would nominally be due to him? This rnin ic,iPle was, in point of fact, actually in operation in most of t estates in the ki ng d om , an d , if that were the case, did away with the injustice of asking the Clergyman to lake a less sum than that to which he was nominally entitled. These appeared to him (the Solicitor-Ge neral) to h ave b een t h e ma i n objections to the ( 1 .11 , and t h ey certa i nly appeared to him to be objections to the "ads entirely, and not to the principle. It was beyond the Power of legislation at once to meet all the objections which ob C ould be raised to a measure, or at once to provide a certain i universal r eme d y , b y pos i t i ve enactment, for every anomaly h might h ave ex i ste d ; i t was enough i f the measure g r aPPled boldly with the main question. This the present mea sure appeared to him (the S o li c it or -G enera l) t o d o , an d t ue therefo re h o p e d to s e e the m o ti on f or th e secon d rea d ing Pass urianimously. Si'.,' R. INGLIS—As the Hon. and Learned Member who h iai ) . just sat down and the Hon. and Lea rne d M em b er w h o wid preceded him in the debate bad severally alluded to him (Sir R. Inglis) in the course of their observations, he felt himself bound to trespass for a very few minutes on the atten tion of the House. Hi s Noble Friend had said that he d es i re d maintain the a nc i ent an d venerable rights of the Church. tie (Sir R. Inglis) thought those rights as venerable as law, and as ancient as justice, and he hoped ultimately to have the support of all those in the country whose opinions he re pected, even though' he might now stand alone in those extreme opinions which were attributed to him. The Hon. and Learned Member had said that he (Sir R. Inglis) was in error b l . recd complaining that the Clergy should be called on to hose 601 ., when they were entitled to 1001. He maintained this ever, that such a proposition was unjust. He objected to Posed because it was compulsory, and because it pro th7 to be immutable. They had no more - right to deprive p ' r r Clergy of their right to tithe than they would have to de- Ve I nnt (Sir R. Inglis) of his round rents. This was his o.j e t • :eti. c ion to the principle of the sill—he should state his ob °llB to th e d eta i ls on a future occasion. There was one tiggestion, however, which he would make t;.) the Noble Lord, fa.ese:teedg:arded the mode in whieh the cormiutation was to be ef- Would it not be better, inst .'ead of arriving at once at T 7 fixe d amount or average of rev= years, to make the corn eutation depend on a progress calculation, alterable and re n %table from year to year.--...(Hear.) gr .An Host. asievance of titEhmenhgandsaid. that it appeared to him that the real W 5 that a person ,wl.4o "Jo a t been laid to the House. The evil d n o t out a single farthing in the th e of the sand should be entitled to come in and claim t . c e tenth of its produce—that one-tenth frequently amounting of ti_be " whole, p ro fi ts of cultivation. Let the case be made that roor.ufactur er —l et a manu f acturer expend an immense a nd ia n the erection of machinery and the purchase of stock, hi: 'ben be li a bl e t o th e Cl ergyman for one tenth part of e.„_" la anufactured goods ; ho w wou ld h e b e a bl e to bring his toe to mar k et ?—( Hear.) In France tithes had been en jr,ol,' s wept away. —( H ear , h ear , f rom t h e Mi n i ster i al benches. ) Were n they wer e go i ng very fast. In' Au s t r i a , t oo , th ey beginni ng t o go. B ut in this count r y th e l an dl or d s an d ilq eoltiyat ors were willi ng t o comprom i se the matter on fair and iattietaeble terms. He intended, when the Bill went into Corn 3'ears to propose a reduction in the average on the seven L ay • He was satisfied, that imposing a rent charge, would 14 , the effect of increasing the value of tithe property. He to ot * that the question of redemption had been left out of 40ti"'eration altogether, and it was his intention, when they ofp re n t , t° Committee, to propose an amendment, for the purpose tind er H ating any redemption of the commutation to be effected Sir‘,,F;is measure. • KNATCHBULL said, to do justice to the Clergy, trk w , he felt persuaded, be the object which all parties had in But whil e t h ey did t hi s , w hi le they gave the tithe kritater th at which was his due, surely it was not unreasonable Is ncn t beY sh ou ld at t h e same t i me afford some relief to the srd s.— len gth ( Hear, hear, hen.) He would n o t go i nto any ten t erred discussion of the details of this measure on the cre tin, , ii ccasio n , as i t wry not, as he before expressed, hi s inten wor to off er any c.pposition to the second reading. There ho wev er, one or t wo p o i nts l e f t untouc h e d b y t h e k )bi re, to which he wished to call the attention of the Lo rd, In the Bill there did not appear to be any Vesth'''' made for th e p a y men t o f t i t h es in case of t h e tier n t .„ °r 'removal t o anot h er par i s h o f t h e i ncum b ent shortly s ent the ti t h es becoming due. He was aware that the pre tna"V Was defective in this respect, but he also knew that nbiii3; inst ances of hard s hip occurre d i n consequence o f t h e in eireurnY of parties entitled to them to recover tithes under such ternediset,,Bnces- But th e d e f ect was one w hi c h could easily b e !ga one 4`" ,_' He would on l y ca ll t h e attent i on of t h e N o bl e L or d he tak - e "cr point. It was proposed that the average should kh uccording to the value of the last seven years. This tord e '. to be a matter of detail, but still he hoped the Noble lap : , _ w ould take care that the difference between land in til tider,ild Pasture land in regard to tithes, should be fairly con ske.eu, and thatno ' re o a i t l er ao p o r t e b ss o u r. r_ewould be placed on one cake" of land tha g n ( Hear.) He wished to „i4ilsi.Ele remark on what had been said about the 100/. ,egaii v 'Lie clergyman was stated to be entitled. Although ' 4 ll s P ea king the clergyman had a right to 100/., yet ex ') 3' garWouldely received more than 75/. The latter amount obj eet , on still get under this Bill, and that being the c ase, the Mr: the measure on that head seemed untenab le.. 110 14 said that from the manner in which some 8 5 i f ,ientlemen had discussed the measure, it would seem `4ler e hag or 4 co _ was not a general demand throughout the country mmutation of tithes. He, however, knew that there sytt.4lgreat outcry in all quarters for an alteration of the tithe In s „ and all he regretted was, that ther e . were a great Y tit ill d i ., es—those that created most vexation—which this rop t i t s not touch. He alluded to personal tithes, the tithes 1144 4' and mixed tithes. They were all aware of the othe r Yof collecting the tithes on calves, milk, eggs, and thi s ,articles of that description ; and yet, notwithstanding C i di, all such tithes would be still payable. The tithes %ta t „ and fishing he considered an unjust impost, because it tot o "ot only not founded on the common law, owing its origin same t? custom, but amounted to a tax upon labour. The say, ,linlght be said of the tithe upon mills. He next must p ote. oat the additional charge of 15s. proposed to be im- W QR i l '.° l l every acre of land devoted to the cultivation of hops tink;_ighly objectionable, and would in fact operate as a most eni,it'tl'inerease of taxation on those who had expended large Iciarti o 'n Preparing their farms for the productio n of this nhietillar article. The tithes on wood formed another subject that n ! l eserved cons id erat i on , an d, f or h i s part, he believed rne asur. l ess all small tithes were got rid of for a corn-rent, the Mr,wo ul dgive satisfaction to the country. W4B understood to Mend the measure, and to say that he considered the additional chafge of 15s. 'ln acre on land employed in the growth of hops a reasonable proposition. Withoet sOine such payment he did net think that anything- like fair competition could be Maintained among the hop-growers. Mr. G 0 ULB URN fully concurred with the Hon. and Learned Gentleman the solicitor-General that there we. almost iettrThinable difficulties in the w ."; es effecting atw sA tigactory arrangement of nest i on, " 44ezath . a of •ewiltial 6'lo the canitu those difficulties ' wa s he felt lit; Rtioil EnOtild he 1- 01qglaSY. " h ' e lon. Member ler Ches ter had rAtta t'at several 'Omissions in thiS Bill, end enume tatati the tithes which he 'co'n'ceived e‘..'.glit to be got rid of. The great adventag? 'of vel'antary commutation was that by means qf it All tlWte intricate questions could b e 0 46i y . te sti ec i, alth,ww-t they could not be arranged by e‘..lY Comp u l sor y sys tem which they might adepts, - The Noble Lord, however, said that he meant ice adapt the voluntary system. WhAt, did the Noble 1)04 t'ncan to tell the House 'that Ally exp er i ment meld be tried in the sh or t space et''.',ll months from the passing a the Bill, or that h) sill - Months any experi men t cou ld be fairly tried on such thbject ? Now, what could poastlily be known of a metsetlite six months after it ,luel 1 4 ,1 Med ? Or, even suppo bit)); that every previsin of the Noble Lord's Bill were known, was it not likely that no 'commutations would be effec ted until the compulsory part of it was brought to an issue ? With respect to the additional duty proposed to be laid on lands employed for the cultivation of hops, all he need say was to express his concurrence in what had fallen from the Hon. Member for Kent. It was no more than just that those who expended large capitals in the production of hops should be adequately protected. If the Noble Lord had said that no additional tithe should be Imposed on lands brought into hop cultivation what effect would that have had ? Why, it would have enabled the land paying the limited tithe, by converting it to the growth of hops, to be brought into unfair competi tion with the land paying the larger tithe in which a large ea piral had been invested for the purpose of raising from it this particular produce.—( Hear, hear.) It appeared to kith that the Noble Lord had not contemplated ) when tho subject was under his consideration, the east br d rector and a vicar receiving tithes from e partiettlar parish. There was a com plete omission tI9 to this case in the Noble Lord's Bill. No arrangement had been made as to the rights of the rector and vicar hereafter, although th e N o bl e L or d oug h t to have known th a t it had frequently happened that the tithe of cne particular produce in a parish belonged to the rector and of another to the vicar. The tithe of hops, for in. stance, belonged to the vicar and of corn to the rector, and therefore it was that he should like to know whether it was the intention of the Noble Lord that the land should pay the Rector's charge as an additional tax ? He cited this as one of many things which did not seem to have entered into the Noble Lord's contemplation when he framed this Bill.— (Hear, hear.) He did not know exactly from the Bill how it was intended to commute the tithe in each parish. That, how ever, was an important question, and he should like to know whether the same commutation would apply to all the lands in a parish, or tmly to a part, according to the proportionate va lue of the tithes. These, however, and other omissions, he wasted the Noble Lord would be able to supply before the Bill got into Committee. With respect to the principle of the measure, it was not his intention to offer any opposition to the second reading. His belief was, that by far the wisest course would be to give a fair trial to voluntary commutation. Mr. D. W. HARVEY said that the Bill involved two principles —one relating to the commutation of tithes, and the other to appropriation. So far as the commutation of tithes was concerned there was but one feeling, either in that House or in the country. There could be no doubt that it was most important to have tithes commuted into a money payment. The question respecting the proposed appropriation was, however, a much more important one, and on that subject there was no unanimity to be found anywhere so perfect as in that House.— (Cries of " Oh, oh I") There was there what he might call a marvellous unanimity existing, because, in point of fact, the question of appropriation involved what he considered a most unjustifiable concession to the landed interest of the country. (Cries of " Oh, oh," and " Hear, bear.") Tithes in their present form c er t a i n ly s h ou ld be changed. That was palpable, as would be proved by the fact that the value of land which was tithe-free was much greater than that of land which was not,'although the land might be as good in the one case as the other. Now he should like to know in what way the tenantry, the occupier' of the land, the yeomen of England, were to be benefitted by the proposed measure ?—(llear.) To be sure they were told that the interests of these parties and the landlord were identical—that they represented only one per son ; but while they gave the landlord an advantage in some instances of 40 per cent., and in others 25 per cent., he was wholly at a loss to conceive what the benefit was that they in tended to confer on the tenant by the arrangement. What advantage, he asked, did the occupying tenant derive under this Bill ? If the tithe was taken away, would not the land lord be free to let his ground for the full value? Where was the benefit then to the occupying tenant ? They had a right to deal with tithes as public property, and for the benefit of the public at large.—(Cries of " Hear, hear, hear.") If, in the settlement of the tithe question in Ireland, they had felt it necessary to have an appropriation of some part of the Church revenues for the instruction and moral be nefit of the people, why should they not do the same in Eng land ? He had no hesitation to declare his conviction that this measure would be a most unpopular measure, and would be re ceived with anything but satisfaction by the country. With respect to that part of the Bill which deducted from twenty five to forty per cent. from the Clergyman, he certainly did not approve of taking such a sum from the clergyman. The ground alleged was, that the clergyman under the proposed plan would be saved the expenses of collection, and have addi tional security. The expense of collection bore no just pro portion to this reduction. Why, he would venture to state that throughout the entire county of Essex the tithe was in no instance taken in kind, but was paid to the clergyman in money. The clergyman either had the tithe.collected in money from the tithe-payer, or had the large tenant to collect it for him. He ventured to say that he did not think that the ex pense of collection could much exceed five per cent., and he certainly thought that it was most unfair to subjectthe clergyman to such an injury as to make so large a deduction from his in come. He certainly did not want to manifest any extraordi nary affectation of sympathy for the clergy. He certainly had no hesitation to say that for the clergy he entertained respect, and he thought that to a certain extent their rights should be respected. However, with the same frankness, he would avow that he sincerely hoped that the time would come when they would have no Church at all.—(lronical cheering from the Opposition.) He repeated that in the measure before the House there was a perfect sacrifice of public principles to per sonal interests. He was of opinion that this measure would determine who were the friends of the people and who were not. He intended that night to take the sense of the House upon the objections which he felt bound to offer to this Bill. He would ask, was it to be expected that the people would consider as in any way beneficial to them a measure which would go to put four millions a year into the hands of the landlords of the country without the least regard to the ad vantage of the great bulk of the people, to whom a portion of those tithes were originally devoted ? Whatever there was venerable in the character of tithes was associated with their antiquity. It was only in their antiquity that their true his tory and the nature and objects of their original institution was to be found. Those tithes had been diverted from their ori ginal purposes, and a large portion of them became the prey of the usurpations of lay impropriators.—( Hear, hear ) Mr. C. FE RG US SON must say that in the observations which the Hon. Member had thought fit to offer on the mea sure before the House, a more uncandid statement of the prin ciple of any Bill had never been put forward. The Hon. Member had said that this was a measure for the exclusive advantage of the landlords. It was quite clear, however, that the Hon. Gentleman had studied the measure with very little attention, and certainly not with his usual ability. There was no such thing in the Bill as valuation in the first.instance. The valuation was to be determined by the valuation for 'the previous seven years. One of the principles of the Bill was that if any individual felt that he was overcharged, or that he was called on to pay more than he considered the value of his tithes, in such case any person so circumstanced would have the right to apply to the, Commissioners for a new valua tion. The Right Hon. Gentleman proceeded to contend that this part of the measure was perfectly free from objections, and was so framed as to be condecive to the mutual icterests both of the titheowner and flit tithepayer. He explained the machinery of this portion of the mea sure, and endeavoured to maintain that the principle on which it was founded was one not only perfectly free from objections, but entitled.to the fullest approval both of the House and of the country. The Hon. Member for Southwark had inveighed against the measure as one in which the interests of the landlords were alone consulted, and at the same time he asked what be- nefit did the occupying tenant, the tithe-payer, 'derive from this measure ? But, he would ask, in reply, did not the tenant derive more advantage than the landlord ? What did the landlord gain? The tenant would be called on merely to pay the amount of his rent charge ; the benefit of the reductions would go entirely into the pockets of the tenant, and the land lord would not derive the advantage of a single farthing during the term of the existing tenant's lease.—( Hear, hear.) Let them consider the increased responsibility which the landlord undertook. Let them consider the situation in which this Bill would place him. The landlord would, under the one rat;on of this Bill, stand in the situation of a person liable to be distrained for the payment of the tithes. The tenant would no longer be liable to be applied to for the payment of this charge, and the Clergyman would have the great advantage of the security afforded him by the liability of the landlord. There was this additional. consideration, that the landlord was likely to lose in the payment of the tithes, for he was bound to pay the full amount of whatever demand the Clergyman became entitled to, and he might not perhaps be able to collect that amount from the tenant. With respect to the deductions of 25 or 40 per cent., he con sidered that, as the clergyman would have increased security, and would receive his money without trouble or expense, it was but reasonable that some deductions should be made. He believed that would be admitted on all hands. Wherever the valuation was not considered to be fair, the Commissioners would have a right to make a new valuation, and the amount of the reduction would vary from 25 to 40 cent., in pro portion to the difficulty that might be found in collecting the arrears. He considered that the Bill would be satisfactory to all parties, and have a fair and just regard for the preserva tion, upon a fair basis, of all the various interests con cerned. There was one point, however, which had not been mentioned —namely, that there was to be a personal agreement, as well as a periodical agreement, as to the amount of commutation. The Bill enacted, that if any per son found fault with his valuation, and thought that he was overcharged, he would have a right to appeal.—(Hear, hear.) The great object of the framers of the Bill was, to do injustice to no one. The measure, in his opinion, was fair and honest towards all parties concerned, and was by far the best and fairest measure ever proposed for the commuta tion of tithes,—(Cheers from the Ministerial benches.) It THE SUN, I,ON DON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23,.1.836 would be advantageous to the tithe:-owner ----it would be ad vantagous td the landlord and to the tenant: The great ad vantage to tlic Wirt would be that there would no longer be a tax epOn his inoustry and capital. At present the tenant could not place increased to b:lv A grits jiionr_fovte.iime_eirpqr land, but he became !jai, produce teken feealir,3 •c : oiiid be the a!,i:• longer, and, the tenant Would ilied be,felle4 f n i m a very 'annoying and diWvantageii,iis,ifilpd&t: The .ight Hon: Geetleinari proeceded 0, ciintend that this mea sure , if carr i ed, 'lvor:hi he of the greatest possibly adVantage to the country: Sir R: PE E rote, and aaid.- - :Sir; stith referege e id t h e in sure Wore the HouSe, apprhhend that On thd pitesent OcOasion we are merely betted to bensider whether such a prima facie case has been Made out in favour of the princi ples which it ociiitains that We can feel Ourselves at lib erty to alloW the Bill to go through a second reading:---(Hear.) to far agree in the principle as to, offer no Opposition in the measure in its preterit atagci, keit I shall fdserve to mysalf the right of ead•havotring, in the Committee to effect such modifi cations of those principles as I shall feel to be advisable.— ( Hear ' hear.) With respect to what has been s a id b y t h e Hon. Member who has expressed himself so strongly as to the disposition of landlords in this House to protect their own interests to the prejudice of others, I certainly do not concur in the justness or fairness of that complaint.—( Hear.) The Hon. Gentleman has stated his intention to move an amend-. meat and take the sense of the House upon a part of the prin ciple of the Bill of which he disapproves : but when he so far concurs in the general principle of the measure the more con venient course would be to move his amendment when the Bill is in Committee. The Hon. Gentleman will then have a suf ficient opportunity of evincing his sympathy for the tenant by moving that one-tenth shall in future be deducted from the payment to the landlord. The Hon. Gentleman had stated in the commutation of tithes the interests of the large body of the people was overlooked • but it will be competent f or hi m when the Bill goes into dommittee to move any amendment that he considers expedient. Perhaps, as be seemed to have so strong an opinion on the subject he may move an amendment to the effect that no measure will satisfy the country which does not involve a new appropriation, and that fifty per cent. at least ought to be devoted to public purposes. The Hon. Gentleman had contended that whatever reduction takes place will go into the pockets of the landlords, but with all his sympathy for the occupying tenant, I do not think that calling for, full payment would be a very likely mode of giving satisfaction to the occupying tenant.—(Hear, and a laugh.) Although the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman (the Solicitor-General) was certainly lucid in its statement, I must be allowed to say, that its argument did not appear to me to be so sufficiently convincing as to incline me to concur in the panegyric which he pronounced on the measure before the House.—( Hear, hear.) However, when I say this, lam per fectly disposed to consent to the second reading, holding my self to be fully at liberty in the Committee to attempt any improvements and modifications that in my judgment I shall feel to be desirable.—( Hear, hear.) I shall not now enter into any argument upon the general question. I so far concur in the principle of the Bill as to be willing to have its details considered and improved in Committee. With respect to the part of the question whether GO or 75 shall be the minimum or maximum, I shall now proceed to discuss. But as I differ from this part of the proposed Bill, I shall be prepared to attempt such modifications in the Com mittee, and to propose such alterations, as appear to be best calculated to remedy such parts of the motion as I consider objectionable—( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman the Solicitor-General has stated that this Bill contains two principles of commutation—namely, that of voluntary agree ment, and that of compulsory agreement. It was stated that the Bill possessed a particular ;claim to support, from the cir cumstance of its containing the compulsory principle, and that this was an advantage which it possessed over the Bill which I had the honour to propound in the last session of Parlia ment. Perhaps the principle of the compulsory agreement may be a good principle ; but because it has been so described, and because it has been held up to approbation, it does not follow that I am bound to assent to it, or that in agreeing to the second reading of this Bill I am to be held as by any means giving my unqualified assent to the principles on which it is founded--( Hear, hear.) What I stated was, with respect to compulsory agreement, that I considered it much more ex pedient and desirable to commence with the principle of vo luntary agreement, and that if afterwards we found it neces sary to provide for the compulsory agreement, our experience of the voluntary agreement would afford us a better principle to apply to the regulation of the compulsory agreement— ( Hear, bear.) The peculiar circumstances of different pa rishes would of necessity render it difficult to determine what principle of compulsory agreement should be applied to them. If there were particular and peculiar circumstances in the condition of several different parishes, it would certainly be difficult to apply the some principle to all of them ; and this was the reason that made me think that the experience of many cases of voluntary agreement would, if the compulsory principle should be found necessary, aid us in applying the best and safest rule in the application of that principle.— ( Hear, hear.) I must confess that, considering the infinite varieties of cases and the necessity of caution in the application of this principle, made me feel that the knowledge and expe rience of the operation of the principle of voluntary agreement should precede our resort to the compulsory principle.—( Hear, hear.) But the Right Honourable Gentleman has said here you have two principles of commutation—first, you have the principle of voluntary agreement, and next you have the principle of compulsory agreement. This is what the Right Honourable Gentleman says, but I should like him to prove to me that the principle of voluntary. agreement is contained in the Bill at all--(Hear, hear.) Surely it can not be called a voluntary agreement where the party act under constraint. Surely you cannot call it a voluntary agreement in which one party says to another, " Enter into a voluntary agreement with me now on certain terms, or I give you notice that in six months you shall be forced compulsorily to adopt an agreement."—(Cheers.) This, then is your principle of voluntary agreement. Why, is it at all reasonable to suppose that any man, whether titheowncr or tithepayer, would, with the slighte s t suggest i ons o f hi s i nterest to do otherwise, enter into a voluntary agreement, when he knows that in six months time a compulsory agreement must take place. I consider that the recognition of the principle of compulsory agreement renders the principle of voluntary agreement to a great extent nugatory, for it is by no means probable that, with the cer tainty of compulsory agreements the voluntary principle of agreement will operate at all.—(Hear, hear.) I certainly do not feel bound to concur in this pert of the measure ; and it certainly has always appeared to me that the better course would have been to have avoided the compulsory agreement altogether, until at least the principle of voluntary agreement had gotten a fair trial, and had been sufficiently tested.— ( Hear, hear.) The next proposition in the Bill to which I feel it necessary to advert is that which provides that besides an individual agreement there shall also be a parochial agree ment, and that the consent of a certain portion shall bind the rest. This is following out the compulsory principle, and of this portion of the Bill, with certain modifications, I should have no hesitation of approving. The object seems to be, in reference to one of the main portions of the measure, to pro vide some principle by which, after six months, unless an ap plication for a voluntary agreement be previously made, the tithepayers and titheowners in a parish shall be compelled to enter into an agreement as to the amount to be paid. Now, in case the parishioners meet and proceed to differ on some point of arrangement according to the provisions of this Bill, v er y great inconvenience might, in such a case, arise. The Bill provides that if, after six months, there be no application for a voluntary agreement, in such case the power of the Com missioners comes into operation, and they proceed to decide neon the terms of an agreement which then becomes ca m _ pulsory ; but then this compulsory power is rendered liable to great impediment and obstruction by the power •of appeal that is given to individuals under the provisions of this Bill. An individual may go the Commissioners and say that he considers his portion of the payment excessive, and that he requires a revaluation. Well, then, the consequence is that a revaluation must take place; and then see all the trouble, inconvenience, and annoyance to which such a pro ceeding is liable to lead. Now let me, for the sake of illus tration, suppose the case of a parish containing ten thousand acres. Now suppose that an individual in that parish, possess ing merely a single acre, complain to the Commissioners that he is overcharged, and appeals against the valuation, what is the consequence ? Why, that a new valuation must take place on his appeal. Why, now, if your compulsory principle be,' good for any thing, if you think fit to apply it to the case of parish, why will you not apply it to a single case? The case which I have put is certainly an extreme case ; but it serves to illustrate the defect of that portion of the Bill to which I am adverting.—( Hear, hear.) Now with respect to the mode of computing the average for the seven years. Suppose the case of a person who for six years of the seven has not bad any arable land, and has on the last year applied a portion of the land to tillage, how are you in that case to estimate the average? Then you have to consider that with the compul sory principle held out by this Bill, there is little likelihood of voluntary agreement. Either the tithepayer will be unwill ing- to enter into the agreement, or the titheowncr indisposed to agree, each having a different interest, and anxious to succeed in obtaining his own terms. In such a case they will of course await the operation of the compulsory princi ple. That portion which gives the right of individual appeal scorns to be objectionable, as calculated to impede and embar rass all the other machinery of the Bill. It appears to me that it would be much better if you introduce into the Bill an enactment that the opinion of a respectable portion of the tithepayers should be binding on the minority, and that on an application of a majority of the parish to the Com missioners, the compulsory agreement should then take place, and should be deemed final and conclusive—( Hear.) So far from reconciling conflicting opinions, I thi n k t h at this part of the Bill would have quite a contrary tendency. I cer tainly consider that this will lead to much inconvenience, for it will give a scope to individual'dissent which will prove in jurious. One portion may object to the rent-charge; another may prefer the payment of tithe in kind, and in every case a party may appeal to the award of the Commissioners. I cer tainly think that the award of the Commissioners ought to be considered final, and that when the compulsory composition does take place, it should be conclusive.--( Loud cheers.) Now, i n disputed cases, or in cases of disputed valuation, see what a difficult task you impose on the Commissioners.—( Hear, hear.) How are they to proceed to determine what is to be the value of the tithe commutations ? They must have to examine into the nature of the crops, into the qualities of the soil, the value cf the land, and where there are conflicting parties this new valuation, instead of being a source of satis faction and advantage, will only be productive of dissension and animosity.—( Hear.) In every case I cannot conceive how they can ascertain the value of the produce of every acre with any degree of satisfaction. This Bill has been greatly praised, and the largest expectations have been held out of all the benefits it will confer upon the country. 1, however, would advise the Noble Lord not to be sanguine on this point, for, unless those defects which I have pointed out be remedied, your new .principle will be peddnctite of anything but ettis . . „. • faction: It fias bCeti caiculat e d t h a t gfedi ifficiiltleS lie in the way of the settlement of this question. That iam frde td .) admit. It has been said of the measure b e f ore the House that it possesses many advantages over alb others that h ave ore ceded it; Ind tlidt l!: haf , the trcr,it, cf being an a tt em pt to 'set- Ile this iPieStidri id i giiii:,it of fairnegs imVaPda all parties whdie. iiiiekat§ drE iniolted; Tiidt it has b e en C once i ve d I n et spirit df fzili-rkiii is i:riaititi id lid preSnrEted. }jut it is ne cessary to see tit that is not a mere fiiiiiisibie kittest but to regulate arid modify the details so as that it may be considdrdd 4 meristtfe Of fairness: The Right Hon. Baronet proceeded to Cdmrtient iiiichi editaiii pdttions . of the details of th e Bill, which he did not approve of. .ilitil reilr.iCi td the landlords, whatever had been said of the landlords in that Hem, he was sure that no feelings of personal interest would influ ence them in the discharge of their duties. He was sure that they viottid thiddftithti the consideration of this Bill with a determination to do full justice to the Interests of all parties, and with respect to the Clergy, considering their peculiar position, and that, in addition, they were without any direct representation in that House, he was sure that they would feel it more peculiarly incumbent on them to be vigilant and cauti ous lest they should not do full justice to a body which was so peculiarly circumstanced. The Right Hon. Baronet con cluded by stating that he was ready to enter on the considera tion of the measure, holding himself fully at liberty to attempt to modify any part to which he objected. He was not opposed to the general principle of the Bill, but he was dissatisfied at many of the details. His Majesty's Government had stated their desire to bring forward a measure satisfactory to the Church and the country. He trusted that in the attempt to establish the commutation of tithes they would not neglect the interests of other parties which claimed consideration. The Right Hon. Baronet resumed his seat amidst loud cheers. Lord J. RUSSELL was glad that the discussion seemed to be carried on in a spirit of fairness on all sides ; but though all had stated their views in a fair spirit, the difficulty of the question was sufficiently evident from the variety of opi nions that had been expressed respecting the present measure. His Hon. Friend the Member for Wiltshire had called it a Clergyman's Bill, but stated that he would not object to it on that account ; and the Hon. Member for Southwark had called it a landlord's Bill. However, he could assure the House that the measure was framed with no bias on either side, and solely with a view to the satisfactory settlement of the most impor tant question. The Noble Lord proceeded to refer to the opinions that had been expressed with reference to the Bill by several Members. The Right Hon. Baronet, who had just addressed the House, objected to the valuation by the Com missioners. With respect to the voluntary agreement, he con sidered it very probable that the tithe-owner and the landlord might agree to a voluntary arrangement. The Right Hon. Baronet had stated the advantage that attended the voluntary agreement, but objected to the compulsory principle. In re ference to that part of the Right Hon. Baronet's argument, he would say that they had had already ample experience from the experiments that had been made of the little like lihood there was that these voluntary agreements would be come general, and therefore they had felt it advisable to recognize the compulsory principle.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord then proceeded to apply himself to Sir R. Peel's argument respecting voluntary agreement. He differed with the Right Hon. Baronet that the experience of the volun tary agreement would furnish a rule for the application of the compulsory principle. He vindicated the propriety of having recognised the principle of compulsory agreements in the Bill, and contended that its recognition would have considerable influence in promoting voluntary agree ments. There might, perhaps, be some difference on either side, but when they saw the certainty of a compulsory agreement they would accommodate their differences and en ter into an arrangement without any compulsory interference. In the instances where the titheowners were clerical it was generally the Case that they received only forty per cent. of the amount of tithes really due. In these cases the tithe payers should'not be left under the impression that the com position would be merely voluntary, as the titheowner would not then be likely to obtain anything like a fair per centage. ...0 lito the best modes by which operation can be afforded to the House mithe different Railway Bills :"—Mr. Poulett Thom son, Sir R. Pedt, &id Stanley, Sir J. Wrottesley, Mr. P. Steuart. Lord G. Somerset, Mr. Hume, Sir J. Graham, Lord Viscount Sandon, Sir G. Strickland, Mr. Loch, Mr. Oswald, Mr, Gisborne, Mr. Thorneter, and Mr. M. O'Ferrall. RAILWAYS. iidndon Grand Junction—Blackivall Commercial— and the York Arta North Midland Railway Bills wore presented and read a first time. The Petition for the Great Western Railway Bill (No. 2), was reported, end the Report referred to the Select Committee on Standing (Wert, A Petition for a Bill for Ilia London and Dover Railway was reported, and the Bill ordered to be brought in. Petitions for the London and Brighton_Midland Counties —Birmitighatt and Gloucester— Cheltenham and Great Western—and did Olieflield and Rotherham Railway Bills, to be read on Monday next. CONFESSION ofPEPIN SUBSEQUENT TO HIS CONDEMNATION. (From the Gazette deg Tribunaux.) INTERROGATORY OF PEPIN ON TIM 17TH OF FEBRUARY. To various questions put by Baran Pasquier Pepin replied : I remain convinced that Fieschi introduced himself into my house to destroy me. In all that he has said there is a quantity of falsehood mingled with some truth. Fieschi has always had the thought of committing a crime and march ing upon the Tuileries. He wanted arms, and one L:. l 3' asked me to procure some. I said it was impossible. ife then mentioned the design I have spoken to you of, which consisted in entering the barracks of the Sub-Officers of the Jardin du Roi with a friend, and killing as many as should be necessary in order to have their arms. As at that time I went sometimes to St. Pelagie to see Leconte, I said to Fieschi, in order to prevent a calamity, that I could speak to some patriots, among others to Ca vaignac, and demand arms of them. I met Cavaignac in theprison yard, and asked f o r those arms. Cavaignac urged me strongly not to meddle with such matters, and refused the arms. I told Cavaignac, on asking him for arms,. that it was for a person who deigned combating the King's Government. I said nothing more. It was not I that offered my horse to Boireau ; it was he that came from Bescher to tell me to pass on horseback on the Bou levard, without telling me the real motive of the prome nade. I refused to do that which he desired ; he then de manded my horse, which I lent him. I believe Morey was sooner and more advanced than I in Fieschi's conspi racies. It was Fieschi that first suggested the infernal ma chine to me, telling me his revengeful designs. • The money I have given, or rather lent, either to persons accused of, or condemned for, political offences was given out of feel ings of humanity. Thus have I acted with Lion, Floriot, and others besides. It is Fieschi's dagger which has de stroyed me, by the fear it gave me. If Fieschi were sin cere heilivould tell you the efforts I made, even the last time I saw him, to recal him to virtue, and prevent his firing upon his fellow-citizens. I swear on the heads of my wife and children that I never did or counselled evil."—(Signed by Pepin, Pasquier, and Leon de la Chauviniere.) Fieschi being asked whether he had mentioned his plan of entering the barracks of the Sedentary Sub-Officers, replied— " That is true ; we deliberated all three—Pepin, Mo rey, and I—on the means of procuring arms after the oc currence."—(Signed by Fieschi, Pasquier, and Leon de la Chauviniere.) INTERROGATORY OF PENN ON THE EVENING OF THE 17TH FEBRUARY, ON HIS APPLICATION. fair per To obviate this it was necessary to Intimate to both parties' by In reply to the President's questions he said :—" I hav e the compulsory clause that some arrangement should be nothing to add to my declaration of this morning. I never made which would give to the titheowner something near his told Cavaignac for what I wanted the muskets. I have claim. The Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel) seemed to L been in intercourse with no Carlists. I have mentioned the think that it would be better to extend the valuation to tne his attempt to nobody. entire parish, and render that valuation Compulsory. For then own part he (Lord J. Russell) was not prepared to say that Fieschi was brought in. " Morey had said, I the p ro p os i t i on wa s not b e tt er th an th e p r e se nt pr ov i- will load the barrels,' and he had explained how he would sion in the proposed Bill. With regard to the ob- do it ; after which Pepin said—' You are about to make a servations of the Right Honourable Gentleman the great many victims.' I know not whether the remark was Member for East Kent, respecting the conversion of tillage made ironically or seriously." land into pasture, they were well worthy of attention, and he Here Pepin said—,, I maintain that when I knew his (Lord J. Russell) would see whether provision could not be final project I was more than half an hour engaged in im made against the objections involved in them. It certainly pressing upon Fieschi the number of victims he would make, would not be fair, in the event of such a chan g e, to make the latter p ay t h e p ro p ort i on o f th e f o rm e r, b ut if t h e proposition and urging him to renounce his designs." Fieschi--That is true. I have still to say that Pepin of the Right Hon. Gentleman were adopted, there would re main much uncertainty. The disputes between titheowners wa s not so obstinately bent or eitrag6 upon the attempt as and landowners which it was desirable to avoid would be eon- Morey. tinned, and the main object of the Bill defeated. The Bill in Pepin—l believe so, since I prohibited Fieschi from this part of it would revert to the past seven years, but not to executing it. the future, inasmuch as it was the desire of those who framed Fieschi—Do not forget that it was you that gave the it not t o throw any bar in the way of the irtiprevettent of the money ; why did you give it ? land.-- (The Noble Lord here entered into some other details Pepin—lf I gave money to Fieschi it was previously, and with regard to arable and pasture lands, but in a voice which beeraise I was under his terrific influence. did not reach us; and also on the subject of tithe of fish, Fieschi--Nobody but Morey and I saw the machine. which he admitted to be difficult.) With respect to what had been said by the Hon. B aro n e t th e M em b er f or the Pepin saw but the model. He visited me but once ; but University of Oxford, as to the right o f th e titheowner my conviction is still, that Pepin told Members of the se to the whole tenth, there were various reasons why it would cret societies that something would happeU on the day of not be enforced. It was said that the titheowner was to that the review. extent a partner in the land ; but such a proposition could Pepin--I maintain that I knew no secret societies. I not be maintained, for he could not interfere with the cultiva- have always acted under the influence of Fieschi. tion, and if he attempted to enforce too much in the shape of (Signed by Fieschi, Pepin, Pasquier, and M. de la Chau tithe the person in possessioa could alter the cultivation so as viniere.) to deteriorate the value of the P roduce. He (Lord J. Russell) INTERROGATORY OF MOREY, FEB. 18, THREE P.M. knew an instance in point, in which where tithe was attempted Op• questions put by, the President Morey replied— to be enforced to a greater amount Than usual the occupier of myself, I_ wt willingly the land converted it into plantations, and the conseque have no was, that for the last twenty-one years no tithe had - Fieschi, This would tend to show that there was no ale. street right in the tithe-owner. He enter further into details which, as well which he proposed to make, he should stages of the Bill. He was rejoiced prospect of settling this great and a.. and he hoped that the House would cot a fair view to such a settlement, agreein g was intended to deal impartially by all parties, even might have some errors, rather than suffer the matter to re main in abeyance two or three years longer, to the injury both of the clergy and the landlords. lie would conclude by mo ving that it be committed pro forma, and the further conside ration take place that day fortnight. Mr. ESTrCOURT was understood to ask whether it was the intention to fill up the blanks? Lord J. RUSSELL, as we understood him, said that there were several provisions to be filled up, and some alterations to be made, which would render it necessary to have the Bill re printed. Mr. E STC 0 URT thought that a fortnight ought to be al lowed to elapse after the printing to allow the Bill to be sent through the country. After a few words across the table between Lord J. RUSSELL and Sir R. PEEL, which were inaudible in the gallery, the House proceeded to the second reading of THE PENSION DUTIES' BILL. Mr. H A RCOU RT presented a petition from the Duke of Marlborough, praying to be heard by Counsel against a Bill as regarded himself. The Honourable Member said it was hard that a pension, granted for such services as that had been granted for. should be subjected to a tax of 27i- per cent— ( Hear.) He was sure such a tax did not enter into the minds of the Legislators who bad granted a pension, the object of which was to perpetuate the national glory; and, he was equally sure that House would not refuse the prayer of the pe titioner to be heard by Counsel against the second reading of the Bill. The SPEAKER made some observations which were inau dible, but we understood them to be to the effect that the pre sentation of the petition was informal, and it was consequently withdrawn. with real. It is quite IN -therefore capa- If I knew anything useful, I should tell (Signed by More; Pasquier, and de la Chauviniere.) INTERROGATORY OF PEPIN, 19TH OF FEBRUARY, A QUAIL ' TER TO ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, UPON HIS REPEATED APPLICATION. . - To the questions put by the President, Pepin replied—l am determined to say all I know. A new society has been formed since the law made against associations, and Recurt has initiated me into it. Its object is to overthrow the Government-its members swear hatred to Royalty. I judge of the danger it may present by the important indivi duals it includes—important, I say, owing to their talents. I was told that Blanqui, jun., and Lapouncraye were mem bers of that society, but I have not seen them there. I warned no other members of the satiety than Recurt and Blanqui. Fieschi and Morey can alone tell whether Morey had warned the republican members of the secret societies. It was agitated at one time organizing a revolutionary bat talion, but I would not form part of it. I believe it was the scheme of Henri Leconte and some other prisoners of St. Pelagic; I know it was Leconte mentioned it to me. If I disclosed not Fieschi's projects, it was because I was in dread of his dagger ; no other influence Was exercised over me. I did not apprise Levraud. I apprised Recurt be cause I knew him as a political man, and ex-Captain of the National Guard ; such was the origin of our acquaint ance. I remember not by whom I was received in the new Secret Society. I made an oath on entering it ; the oath is, not to sell one's self. There was no President on the day I was received. I remember not who received me. It was in the Fauxbourg St. Antoine ; that is all I recol lect. I add and maintain, that I never knew Fieschi's real motive."—(Signed by T. Pepin, Pasquier, and L. de la Chauviniere.) After signing, Pepin said that it was owing to his family affections, that he had made these declarations. Mr. GOULB URN said the object of the Bill was to render permanent a duty which had heretofore been annually voted. The Hon. Gentleman Opposite had on a former occasion argued that it would not be expedient to take from under the controul of Parliament the duties to be imposed on pensions. It became them, therefore, to explain to the House the grounds upon which they now telt themselves called upon to render the tax permanent.—(Hear, hear.) It would also be incumbent upon them to explain other parts of the Bill. The Bill passed in 1834 for imposing the annual duty on pensions was only to remain in force until the sth of July, 1835. If it was not then renewed there would be no duty levied, for no duty could be levied save by law. It was not renewed in July, 1835, and yet the Bill proposing to make those duties permanent had a re-rospective effect, as far back as the sth of July, 1835. Now if the Bill of 1834 expired on the sth of July, 1835, how could Government propose to collect duties retrospectively for the period after its expiration ? Mr. F. BARING, who was very inaudible, was understood to say that the Treasury always considered itself entitled to levy those duties, and that it was only because somo doubts were raised that the Annual Act was resorted to. The Bill was then read a second time. Mr. BROTHERTON then moved the adjournment of the House, it being then midnight. . , Yesterday the bodies of Pepin and Morey were restored to their families, and buried without pomp in the southern burial ground. It was hitherto the custom to deliver up the bodies of persons executed, and not claimed, to,the Faculty of Medicine, to serve in anatomical investigations. But, in spite of an application, the body of Fieschi has been refused, and will not be disinterred. Boireau has been removed to the•Coneiergerie, there to await his appearance at the Assizes, in the affair relative to the attempt of Ncuilly. MUNICIPAL REFORM. The second reading of the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill was then moved. Colonel SIBTHORP objected to a Bill of so much im portance being read then. He thought he saw a disposition to smuggle it through the House. Sir R. PEEL said he had moved some days since for a re turn of the number and names of Magistrates appointed as Cor poration Justices. He wished to know when that return would be made, for if report spoke truly the selection which had been made did not appear very likely to further the ends of justice ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was sorry his Noble Friend was not in his place to answer the question, but he would be prepared to answer it to-morrow, and in the meantime he hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would not pre judge the question. The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed for Friday next. Mr. MACLEAN gave notice that on Friday n ext he should ca ll the attention of the Noble Lord at the bead of the Foreign Department to the affairs of Spain. The other ()Hers of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'clock. COMMITTEES. The following are the names of the Honourable Mem bers who compose the Committee which was appointed last night :-... RAILWAY BlLLB,—Select Committee appointed " ft , 41quire GERMAN PAPERS. MANNHEIM, FEB. 11.-Dr. Gutzkow was yesterday re leased from his confinement, but he is so ill that he is obliged to defer his departure. The well-known A. Schafer, who is in confinement at Stuttgard, for a similar reason will likewise be soon set at liberty. FRONTIERS OF MOLDAVIA, FEa. I.—We now learn, from a very respectable source, that the renicinstrance against Prince Stourdza, which was sent by the oppositto.; to St. Petersburg and Constantinople, was not drawn up by the excited Bojars, though they, properly speaking, gave occasion to this document. The oppositi on does not make any secret of the fact, that Prince Demeter Morusi and Count Constantine Batsch are the real authors of the re monstrance, by means of which, they expect to overthrow the Prince's Government. Prince Morusi is of the well_ known Fanariot family, and has. connections in St. Peters burgh and Constantinople. Count Constantine Balsek, be longing to one of the principal Moldavian families, is Rus sian Councillor of State (out of service), of the school o- Cape d'lstria, with whom be attended the Congress of Vienna, and continued attached to his departmeent tilt he left it. It is natural thp: c the Opposition, relyi ng on the influence of such able mien, dreamt o f nothing less than dethroning the Prince ; b ut, on a calm view of the state of Moldavia, Ive tr- take it for granted th a t P r i nce S tour d za w ill a t present .4mph over his adversaries in case the Courts of St. Pe tersburg and C onstant i nop l e s h ou ld grant th e wishfor a mixed commission.—Hamburgh Papers, Feb. 19- Frankfort FRANKFORT, FEB. 12.—The No, of t 1 ; 11 - - Journal published to-day, contains al article respecting the partial annulling of the Treaty of Commerce of May 13th, 1832, concluded with the British Government :—" The Legislative Body have agreed on the 23d Dec., 1835, to. the proposal of the Senate to obtain the total or partial revocation of the treaty concluded with Great Britain, May 13th, .1832. Dr. Harnier, S ena t or an d Pl en ip o tentiary of this city, bad succeeded in concluding a Convention with Great Britain for the revocation of those articles of the said treaty of May lath, 1832, which were opposed to the ac cession of this city to the German Commercial Union- This Convention, dated Dec. 20th last year, is to the following effect :—" The Senate of the free city of F. epic fort having acquainted the Government of his Britannic Ma jesty, that since the signing of the Treaty of May 13th, 1832, circumstances have taken place by which some stipulations of that treaty are become prejudicial to the commercial interest of the city of Frankfort, his Majesty the Kin... of Great Britain, animated by the wish, in concert with the Senate of the free city of Frankfort, to relieve the latter from the prejudice hence arising to it, the two contracting parties have agreed reciprocally to relieve each other from some of the stipulations of that treaty, and have appointed us their plenipotentiaries for that purpose :—His Majesty the King of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Hon. Henry John Viscount Palmerston, Baron Temple, &c., his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ; the Right Hon. Charles Poulett Thomson, President of the Board of Trade and Plantations ; and the Senate of the free city of Frankfort, Edward Ludwig Harnier, LL.D., Senator of the said free city : iv -210, after communicating to each other their full powers, h ave agreed on and concluded the following Articles : Art. 1. Articles 1,2, 3,4, and 5, of the treaty of 13th May, 1832, andhereby revoked and annulled. Art. 2. The prey nt treaty shall be ratified, and the rati fications exchanged in L ondon in six weeks, or sooner, if possible. In testimony wheof the said plenipotentiaries have hereunto set their hand and seals. Done at London, 29th Dec. 1835. (Signed) PALMERO • ON. C. POULETT THOMSON. HARNIER. The ratifications have already been exchanged.--Prussian State Gazette, Feb. 17. SPAIN. ALLEGED TREACHERY OF GEN. CORDOVA. The Flirt brig, Osprey cutter, and Royal Tar steamer, have this week arrived from Santander The Osprey left on the 9th inst., on which day Lord William Paget marched to join the British Legion at Vittoria, with 50 lancers and 50 artillerymen, and two 12-pounder guns. The letters from Vittoria and Santander, by these vessels, give a very melancholy picture of affairs, and exhibit as usual the treachery and dishonesty of the Spaniards, and the misera ble condition of the country. Provisions were very scarce at both places, and could not be purchased by the officers, as they were nine months' pay in arrears, though a promise was held out that pay for six weeks of that period would shortly be paid to them. From want of clothing and insuf ficient shelter, the recruits at Santander and the army at Vittoria were very sickly ; fever of a typhus nature was carrying off nearly fifteen a day at the former place, and in fact from one cause or another, it was doubtful if General Evang could muster more than 3,000 bayonets in the field ; i added to which, it was evident that Cordova, who s un doubtedly a Carlist, purposely retreated when be had given orders to his right wing, which,was commanded by Evans, to advance after the battle of the 17th January, by which manoeuvre the whole British Legion and two battalions of Spaniards would have been surrounded by the entire Carlist force, had not Gen. Evans suddenly moved back upon Vittoria in the night time. The French General who commanded the left wing, and who was ignorant of the danger into which Evans had been betrayed, was subse quently loud in his complaints against Cordova, and openly accused him of duplicity ; and their joint remonstrances on the subject to the Spauish Government will, no doubt, have the effect of immediately removing him from the command of the army, to which it was said Mina was appointed. Colonel Dickson and Colonel Fitzgerald had both quitted the Spanish service in disgust, and are now in England. The Castor, English frigate, with a French brig-of-war and r Spanish brig-of-war, were at Santander, but the latter vessel did nothing ; she did not even attempt to relieve St. Se bastian, though our unarmed steamers in the Queen's em ploy did so with impunity ; one of them had recently con veyed ordnance stores, and two long 24-pounders from Corunna, and the Reyna left on the ith with a further supply. The Carlists had quitted the neighbourhood, and had taken their battering train to Guetaria, a place about nine miles to the westward. The steamers out there were the Reyna, Isabella the Second, and City of Edinburgh. The town of St. Sebastian is greatly damaged ; the streets are blockaded at each end, and is now garrisoned by 2,000 Spaniards, the English having been removed to Santander. The only provisions the inhabitants can obtain are brought from France, and it is much to be regretted that all the eatables required by the army are not supplied from the same country.—Hampshire Telegraph, CONSTANTINOPLE. .TAN. 27.—Advices, under date of the 31st of DececOer, from Syria, inform us that Sulieman Bey, alias Col. Sever had arrived at Beiroot, invested with ample powers from Mehemet Ali to investigate and redress the grievances of which our Government complained, in consequence of his 'opolies and infractions. He is, moreover, . er o f „ nt iznher of special iirmarii; addressed to the nt u h p e l i ta r r te cx.ucd posert o iti o rendern. issisuincaeuttohocriotileosnewllighmcsanyeyMitnve s E There is little doubt that the exhibition of firmness on the part of the English Government, in appealing directly to the Porte against his unjustifiable encroachments, has bad the effect of opening his eyes as to the true nature of his power and position. Important intelligence, through a good channel, has beau received from Circassia, from which it appears that these brave mountaineers have again signalized themselves by success against the common enemy. Not satisfied with re pelling the Russians in their late inroads beyond the Couban, they formed the spirited resolution of act ing on the offensive, and making reprisals. Having accordingly assembled a force of from six to seven thousand cavalry on their north-eastern frontier, they made an irruption into the Russian territory, and advanced ra pidly against Stavropol, a town some distance in the in terior, and one of the most important of Southern Russia. The town and garrison having been taken by surprise, offered but a feeble resistance, and the conquerors, after securing a rich booty, returned from their foray with three hundred of the principal inhabitants and officers, as pri soners. These , subjects of the Czar may be ransomed at leizure, as every attempt to subjugate the Circassians has proved abortive. Sir John Campbell, wha arrived here last week from Trebizond, traversed these countries in his re turn from Persia, and has, I believe, colleetti much valu able information. He had a very stormy passage in the Black Sea, and so protracted beyond the usual time, that the crew and passengers narrowly escaped being famished. The King of Bavaria, under the title of Count of Augs burg, has been up to Smyrna in the English Government steamer Medea. He stayed only two days, went to a ball, which was graced by the presence of all the rank and beauty of the place, and then went away. His Majesty, of course, preserved the farce of an incog., but I understand the Turks are by no means pleased that he should have made his appearance at all. He was formerly sufficiently Well knottin to them as a Philhelene, and consequently Turk hater ; and, moreover, they are rather sore that they should, two or three years ago, have shown marked attention to Prince Maximili;in, the King's brother, when here, without their kindness ever having been acknowledged in any way. His Majesty had, for a short time, an intention of extend ing his trip to Constantinople ; had be done so, Turkish hospitality would have dictated a welcome to him, but it was as well that lie kept away. I understand he intended, after leaving Smyrna, to go to wonder at what he could see on the plain of Troy, and to admire the beautiful anti quities which are to be seen at Alexander Troas ; after which the steamer's cutwater would be turned towards Athens. DREADFUL CASE O F a l't i l s.f.: A teor N f a S IITI L iia A i nti U silea G u l a l E T h ta F,. : lt rt .-- A n inquest was held at Frome, Somerset, last week, on the body of James Ingram, aged 28, who was killed by his own wife. The deceased and his wife were persons of intemperate and dissolute habits, which frequently led them to violent acts towards each other. It appeared in evidence that on the night alluded to an altercation took place between Ingram and his wife and her mother, at the dour of the latter, where he WAS violently knocking, and using threats, when his wife rushed "-rim the house, armed with a wooden pole, called the tail-bar 1,- of a cars, husband, of vr;,. and inflicted a tremendous blow on the head of her ri, he died before the morning. It was stated found no fracture of the 5;,...:11, but four ounces 'nvesticration which by a surgeon that on .7 post mortem examinationofofetxhtera body as a t ho l e blood on the brain. The Ju);'. w ho has been committed against lasted seven hours, returned a v - e; liylksatcteonmdmedenebeydthaat toH ann prisonah Ingram, r t a r t i n a , l a wife theof the i,ex d t e a e s e s as izes ed . , THE SILK TRADE Yesterda-, troanufacturcrs, throwsters, and others interested in the silk Company's mr?,aansty'sinqdniaariteiorluysssea,lea and d f B c‘ e ,a n s g a v l er r y a w ful s trade. Owing to the great activity which has recently pre vailed in the silk manufactories, there was much competition for the silks offered. The Company's declaration amounted to 2,000 bales, and for the finer silks very advanced price. were realised. Some very fine Gonateas sold as high as 27%. 2d. per lb. ; Banleahs, at 16s. to 18s. 2d. ; Coramercollys at 175. to 225. ; and Harripaul at an average of 18s. per lb. The finest silks realised an advance, as compared with the quotation of last sale, of 25 to 30 per cent., and the inferior silks of 7to 15 per cent., according to quality, The sale will continuo for some daps. .. ! I